From Childhood Dream to NASA Intern: Q&A with a Miami Engineering Intern
February 26, 2025 | admin
During the summer of 2024, Sarah Freeman ’25 turned her childhood dream into reality becoming a NASA intern focused on sustainability aviation at NASA Glenn Research Center. From analyzing electric aircraft components to inspiring future engineers, she’s making an impact in the aerospace industry. Here’s a look at her journey:
Q: Hi Sarah. Could you introduce yourself?
A: I’m Sarah Freeman. I’m going into my senior year, and I’m double majoring in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering.
Q: What have you been up to this summer?
A: I’m interning at Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, with NASA, and I’m a summer sustainability aviation intern.
Q: Amazing. What does your day-to-day look like as a sustainability aviation intern?
A: My day-to-day tasks include running analysis on electric aviation components, running thermal analysis, some testing on electric aircraft components, and I’ve also been part of some public outreach events with NASA.
Q: Is there a specific project you’ve been working on for NASA?
A: The project I’m working on with NASA is the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration Project, or EPFD for short. We have two electric aircraft flight demonstrators with industry partners, one that’s fully electric and one that is partially electric. It’s like a hybrid but also uses traditional turbine engines. Our job is to get the technology ready for that and also get the industry ready for that.
Q: Very impressive, how did you come across this internship?
A: I got this internship by applying through NASA’s online portal, and Miami has two alumni, who are women in engineering, who helped me fill out the application. The application talks about why you want to work for NASA. Then you submit your credentials, your resume, your letter of recommendation, and things like that.
Q: Is this a childhood dream come true?
A: Yes. So I grew up around Glenn Research Center. I’m from Cleveland, and when I was 9, we went to an outreach event they hosted at the library. They had a ‘how to be a future astronaut’ type of thing and that’s when I fell in love with space and the sky and things like that. So that’s always been the goal.
Q: What do you love most about being an engineering major at Miami?
A: The thing I love most about my major is the people in it. I think Miami engineers are a very special breed. They’re really well-rounded. They have a sense of empathy and awareness for the broader picture that’s sometimes unique in the field. I think it’s really critical to expanding your technical impact. I love the professors too. They are really attentive. They do a great job forming a meaningful relationship with you. They’re willing to offer advice outside of just homework advice. They’ll give you advice on career life or whatever you need.
Q: How is this internship preparing you for your future?
A: I think this internship supports my future goals really well because I want to work in the aerospace industry since I’m also dealing with sustainable aviation projects. That also aligns with my goals. I want to make sure I’m doing something that has a positive impact on the world.
Q: What moment has stood out to you most?
A: My ability to travel. I got to attend an air show in Wisconsin and the National Aviation Conference in Las Vegas. So, those are very exciting. I got to do a lot of public engagement work with kids. I was 9 and on the other side of the table making the popsicle stick airplanes. Then in Wisconsin, I was teaching the kids how to make the popsicle stick airplanes, which was very cool.
Q: What’s going to be a lasting memory? A: We had little kids who would come up to us in Wisconsin, and I’d ask them, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ And they would go, ‘Oh, a pilot or an astronaut,’ or ‘I want to make rockets.’ And that was just super rewarding to be able to have that type of engagement, hopefully inspiring the next generation of engineers.
